An appliance for diagnosis and therapeutic eye treatment

ABSTRACT

An appliance for ophthalmologists, comprising a movable ringsector shaped work surface for holding ophthalmic instruments, that subtends an angle of approximately 240* and closely surrounds the patient&#39;&#39;s chair.

United States Patent Schwind 1 Mar. 7, 1972 [54] APPLIANCE FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPEUTIC EYE TREATMENT [72] Inventor: Herbert Schwind, Dammer Weg 37, 8752 Goldbach-Aschalfenburg, Germany [22] Filed: Mar. 10, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 18,161

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 20, 1969 Germany ..P 19 47 803.6

52 user ..351/38, 108/22,]08/103,

108/139 51 1111.01 ..A6lb3/00,A47b1l/00 [S8] FieldofSearch ..351/38; 108/22, 103,139

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Appell ....10s/139 x 2,510,624 6/1950 Forshey et a1 ..351/38 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,020,452 2/1953 France ..351/38 OTHER PUBLICATIONS B & L Brochure, B & L Hydraulic Equipment for Modern Refraction, 1933 Primary ExaminerDavid Schonberg Assistant Examiner-Paul A. Sacher Attorney-Finnegan, Henderson & Farabow [5 7] ABSTRACT An appliance for ophthalmologists, comprising a movable ring-sector shaped work surface for holding ophthalmic instruments, that subtends an angle of approximately 240 and closely surrounds the patients chair.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures AN APPLIANCE FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPEUTIC EYE TREATMENT SPECIFICATION An important problem during diagnostic or therapeutic eye treatment is to bring all the instruments required for the various types of treatment to the patient as rapidly as possible, while saving space, and keeping in mind that the patient should not move from his place.

A turntable for four diagnostic instruments is already known, which is designed such that the instrument used at any particular time is moved from its compartment on the turntable to a work surface located between the physician and the patient. With this appliance which, by the way, is used only in conjunction with eye examinations, the instrument which was used must be returned first, however, to its compartment on the turntable, the table turned, and the new instrument pulled out. These steps are cumbersome and, furthermore, the turntable and the patient chair which comes with it are poorly suited for therapeutic treatment. Furthermore, no other instruments besides those mentioned earlier, which are located on the turntable, are conveniently available to the physician and needed for diagnosis, vision acuity testing, and therapeutic eye treatment. To undergo such a treatment the patient must change his place.

The present invention is related to a unit based on a principle similar to that used in dental treatment, and more specifically, an appliance which can serve in the diagnosis, vision acuity testing, and therapeutic treatment without requiring the patient to change his place. Accordingly, this invention is intended to provide an appliance for diagnostic and therapeutic ophthalmic instruments, requiring no change of place by the patient. It is also an object of this invention that this appliance comprises a ring-sector shaped work surface with said instruments firmly attached to it.

It is a further object of this invention that said work surface is movable on rollers, or similar devices, on top of a basically firm substructure of approximately the same dimensions, whereby said work surface and said substructure subtend an angle of approximately 240, and an opening in said work surface and said substructure subtends an angle of 120.

It is another object of this invention that an adjustable patient chair is firmly located inside said work surface, surrounded closely by said substructure and said work surface, such that the back support, the headrest and the footrest of said patient chair are oriented toward the physicians chair located in front of said opening in the work surface.

It is another object of this invention that a forehead and chin rest for the patient is located on the inner, preferably left, end of said substructure and can be moved back and forth.

It is another object of this invention to provide that a section of said substructure at the other end can be swung out by approximately 90 about a vertical axis after said work surface has been rolled back approximately 90, with the appropriate clearance having been provided in the substructure at said vertical axis; whereby the treatment chair can be moved through appropriate rotation by approximately 60, such that the head of the almost horizontally reclining patient comes approximately into the center of the length and the width of the area formerly occupied by said section of said substructure before said section was swung out.

A further advantageous version of the appliance, object of present invention, provides for the treatment chair to be rotatable and adjustable vertically and horizontally; the vertical axis of said treatment chairs rotation is eccentrically placed with respect to the center of the ring-sector shaped work surface which contains said opening, said vertical axis preferably located at the intersection of two straight lines of which one passes through said center of said ring-shaped work surface and the center of said opening, and the other forms a connecting line between the inside edges of said work surface section; the back support, the headrest and the footrest can be individually and jointly adjusted after the rotation of said treatment chair by about 60 and will form together a nearly horizontal surface.

In the appliance, object of present invention, the knobs which control the individual operational steps with respect to said work surface, substructure, treatment chair, forehead and chin support, the pivoted substructure section, etc., are located on the ends of the substructure easily reached from the physicians chair.

Furthermore, in the appliance, object of present invention, the ends of said substructure contain structures designed to receive additional devices for diagnosis and treatment; for instance, there are on the left side drawers for the test lenses, test spectacles, etc.; on the right face side there is a pivoted quiverlike box; on the right inner side of the pivoted section of the substructure are cases or drawers and above them recesses for other therapeutic media, including the required pharmaceuticals.

Other advantages and application possibilities of the invention follow from the following description as well as from the attached drawings. The drawings illustrate in:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the appliance, object of present invention, in its normal state for ophthalmic diagnosis and vision acuity testing.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the appliance in FIG. 1, but with the section of the substructure swung out for ophthalmic therapeutic treatment.

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view with a partial cross section in accordance with FIG. 2.

In the following description references will be made to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 in each of which the reference number 1 refers to the work surface which is shaped like a section of a ring, the length of which subtends approximately 240, and its opening subtends approximately 1 20.

This ring-sector shaped work surface 1 can be driven or pushed by means of rollers 1a, FIG. 3, on a substructure 6 which is approximately equally dimensioned and basically fixed. The width of the work surface is such that various treatment instruments can be firmly fixed in certain positions 2, 3, 4, and S on the work surface. The inside circumference of the ring sector is capable of comfortably containing a patient chair, such as one which is used in dental treatment.

The center of the ring sector coincides approximately with the center of the back support 9 of the treatment chair 8, in its vertical position; whereby the vertical axis D of the chair 8 rotation intercepts the intersection of two straight lines, of which one, AA, runs through the center of the ring sector and the center of the opening 7, and the other, B-B, represents a connection between the inner edges 17 of the ends of the substructure 6.

The treatment chair 8 has in addition to back support 9 the headrest l0 and the footrest 11. The physicians chair 12 is located in front of the footrest 11.

On the inside circumference, preferably on the left side of the ring sector, there is affixed a forehead and chin rest 13 which can be pushed back and forth and which in use is located at the height of the sitting patient, on the axis AA.

A quiverlike box pivoted in the right end of the substructure 6 is indicated by 21.

The right-angle cutout or clearance in the substructure 6 is intended to make it possible to swing out the right end of the substructure about the vertical rotation axis 14 in the case when the treatment chair 8 in accordance with FIG. 2 is turned by about 60 to coincide with the axis C-C.

In that case, the work surface is pushed counterclockwise to the point such that its right end is located immediately below the axis AA, see FIG. 2. Then the end 19b of the section 16 of the substructure is swung out by about with respect to its original position into the cutout V which subtends approximately 90. The length of the section so swung out subtends approximately 90.

Next, the treatment chair 8 is turned by about 60 and the footrest 11, the back support 9, and the headrest 10 are adjusted such that these parts form with the chair seat an almost horizontal plane. The headrest is then located approximately in the center of the length and the width of the area previously occupied by the displaced section 16 of the substructure 6. The physicians chair 12 is located on the same axis C-C, from which chair the physician can now treat the patient, whereby he can easily reach the drawer or boxes 22 located in the swung out section, as well as the recess 23 and the control knobs also located there 18, FIG. 3.

At the intersection of the straight line 8-8 with the left or the upper inner edge 17 there is drawn a broken vertical line, in the position where the extreme edge of the other end 190 of the substructure 6 is located.

in FIG. 3 the rollers la are visible by means of which the work surface 1 can be displaced on the substructure 6. To facilitate the explanation of the construction, the work surface is shown cut off on its left near the end 19a of the substructure The treatment chair 8 is in a nearly horizontal position with its footrest 11, the turned-down back support 9 and the headrest 10.

On the right side of the appliance is shown the area with the vertical rotational axis 14 on its inside boundary. The section 16 of the substructure displaced by approximately 90 in this position touches with its vertical surface tightly (the upper bounding'edge is shown) the corresponding extension of the substructure which at this point extends by sector S beyond the work surface 1.

The patient occupies the central place in the appliance, object of present invention, and can stay in this place during all examination and treatment steps. Therefore, at the same place are carried out:.the diagnosis, the vision acuity testing, and the therapeutic treatment of the eyes.

Afurther advantage for the physician performing a treatment is that all of these processes can be accomplished while sitting down. Furthermore, he can easily reach the electric control knobs which could be located in a pivoted box in the left front side of the substructure. These knobs can be used not only to control the whole unit, but to raise and lower the motorized chair, to control the acuity vision projector, to darken the room, to switch the vision-testing devices, etc. In particular, he can bring three different instruments 2, 3, and 4 fixed to the ring-shaped work surface in front of the patient and, in addition, the Phoropter 5 required for vision tests.

The physician performing a treatment can, while changing the instruments, keep an eye continuously on the patient who is particularly facilitated by the forehead and chin rest which can be pushed back and forth and which is designed to immobilize the patient, for example, during the use of the three above-mentioned instruments. This results in the same optical conditions when instruments are changed, eliminating the necessity for repeated adjustments.

For the vision acuity tests which are not carried out by means of the Phoropter, there is, for example, on the left end 19a of the substructure 6 a drawer 20 which contains test lenses This drawer can be pushed in front of the patient to facilitate rapid insertion of these test lenses into the test spectacles.

For examinations with the ophthalmoscope and the Skiascope there is on the right side of the substructure a pivoted quiverlike box 21 which contains these instruments close enough to reach.

For examinations, and in particular treatments which require the patient to lie down, the chair can be rotated by about 60 and then through motor power be brought into horizontal position. In the previously swung-out section of the right end of the appliance there is a provision for containing the instruments for the measurement of the intraocular pressure; and, in particular, for therapeutically necessary instruments and pharmaceuticals.

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance for diagnosis and therapeutic eye treatment requiring no change of place by the patient, comprising: a ring-sector shapedwork surface for receiving treatment instruments firmly affixed to said work surface; a ring-sector shaped substructure having substantially the same horizontal dimensions as said work surface and positioned for supporting said work surface; said substructure comprising a fixed portion and a sector portion spaced from said fixed portion; said work surface displaceable by means of rollers on the substructure, whereby the ring-sector shaped work surface and the substructure subtend an angle of approximately 240 and have an opening subtending an angle of approximately 120; a physicians chair located in the opening of the substructure and an adjustable treatment chair positioned inside of and closely surrounded by the ring-sector shaped substructure and the work surface, said treatment chair normally oriented toward the physician's chair; a forehead and chin rest for the patient adjustably positioned on the inner and, preferably, left end of said fixed substructure and including means for adjustably positioning said forehead and chin rest before the patient or away from the patient when seated in said treatment chair; said sector portion on the other end subtending an angle of approximately means for outwardly pivoting said sector about a'vertical rotational axis located on the inner circumference of said sector portion nearest said fixed portion, said sector displaceable, after said work surface has been rolled back, ina rotary motion about said vertical rotational axis by about 90 into a cutout subtending an angle of 90, whereby said treatment chair after an appropriate rotation of about 60 is adjustable such that the head of the patient reclining in an essentially horizontal position is located approxi mately in the center of the length and the width of the area formerly occupied by said displaced sector of said substructure and said sector including control means located on the end portion of said sector positioned farthest from said fixed portion for controlling the position of said treatment chair and the relative position of said treatment instruments relative to said chair.

2. An appliance in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a treatment chair which is rotatable as well as adjustable vertically and horizontally; a vertical rotational axis of said chair located eccentrically with respect to the center of said ring-sector shaped substructure and work surface and at the intersection of two straight lines, one of which passes through the center of said substructure and the center of said opening, and the other of which passes between the inner edges of the ends of said substructure; said treatment chair having a back support, headrest and foot rest adjustable to form an essentially horizontal surface after said treatment chair has been rotated by approximately 60 from its normal position.

3. An appliance in accordance with claim 1 including knobs which control individual operations of the appliance, said knobs located on the ends of the substructure to be easily reached from said physician s chair.

4. An appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ends of said substructure include means for receiving additional instruments for diagnosis and treatment.

5. An appliance for diagnosis and therapeutic eye treatment of a patient comprising: a ring-sector shaped work surface for receiving treatment instruments and for enabling the treatment instruments to be firmly affixed to said work surface; a ring-sector shaped substructure having substantially the same horizontal dimensions as said work surface and positioned for supporting said work surface, said substructure comprising a fixed portion and a sector portion movably positioned with respect to said fixed portion; means positioned with respect to the work surface and the substructure for enabling displacement of the work surface with respect to said substructure. whereby the ring-sector shaped work surface and the substructure subtend an angle of approximately 240 and having an opening subtending an angle of approximately a physicians chair located in the opening of the substructure and a treatment chair positioned insideofand closely surrounded by the ringsector shaped substructure and the work surface; a forehead and chin rest for the patient adjust-ably positioned adjacent one end of said substructure and including said cutout, whereby said treatment chair after an appropriate rotation of about 60 may be adjusted such that the head of the patient reclining in an essentially horizontal position is located approximately in the center of the length and the width of the area formerly occupied by said displaced sector of said substructure, and said sector including control means located on an end portion of said sector for controlling the position of said treatment chair and the relative position of said treatment instruments relative to said chair. 

1. An appliance for diagnosis and therapeutic eye treatment requiring no change of place by the patient, comprising: a ringsector shaped work surface for receiving treatment instruments firmly affixed to said work surface; a ring-sector shaped substructure having substantially the same horizontal dimensions as said work surface and positioned for supporting said work surface; said substructure comprising a fixed portion and a sector portion spaced from said fixed portion; said work surface displaceable by means of rollers on the substructure, whereby the ring-sector shaped work surface and the substructure subtend an angle of approximately 240* and have an opening subtending an angle of approximately 120*; a physician''s chair located in the opening of the substructure and an adjustable treatment chair positioned inside of and closely surrounded by the ring-sector shaped substructure and the work surface, said treatment chair normally oriented toward the physician''s chair; a forehead and chin rest for the patient adjustably positioned on the inner and, preferably, left end of said fixed substructure and including means for adjustably positioning said forehead and chin rest before the patient or away from the patient when seated in said treatment chair; said sector portion on the other end subtending an angle of approximately 90*; means for outwardly pivoting said sector about a vertical rotational axis located on the inner circumference of said sector portion nearest said fixed portion, said sector displaceable, after said work surface has been rolled back, in a rotary motion about said vertical rotational axis by about 90* into a cutout subtending an angle of 90*, whereby said treatment chair after an appropriate rotation of about 60* is adjustable such that the head of the patient reclining in an essentially horizontal position is located approximately in the center of the length and the width of the area formerly occupied by said displaced sector of said substructure and said sector including control means located on the end portion of said sector positioned farthest from said fixed portion for controlling the position of said treatment chair and the relative position of said treatment instruments relative to said chair.
 2. An appliance in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a treatment chair which is rotatable as well as adjustable vertically and horizontally; a vertical rotational axis of said chair located eccentrically with respect to the center of said ring-sector shaped substructure and work surface and at the intersection of two straight lines, one of which passes through the center of said substructure and the center of said opening, and the other of which passes between the inner edges of the ends of said substructure; said treatment chair having a back support, headrest anD foot rest adjustable to form an essentially horizontal surface after said treatment chair has been rotated by approximately 60* from its normal position.
 3. An appliance in accordance with claim 1 including knobs which control individual operations of the appliance, said knobs located on the ends of the substructure to be easily reached from said physician''s chair.
 4. An appliance in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ends of said substructure include means for receiving additional instruments for diagnosis and treatment.
 5. An appliance for diagnosis and therapeutic eye treatment of a patient comprising: a ring-sector shaped work surface for receiving treatment instruments and for enabling the treatment instruments to be firmly affixed to said work surface; a ring-sector shaped substructure having substantially the same horizontal dimensions as said work surface and positioned for supporting said work surface, said substructure comprising a fixed portion and a sector portion movably positioned with respect to said fixed portion; means positioned with respect to the work surface and the substructure for enabling displacement of the work surface with respect to said substructure, whereby the ring-sector shaped work surface and the substructure subtend an angle of approximately 240* and having an opening subtending an angle of approximately 120*; a physician''s chair located in the opening of the substructure and a treatment chair positioned inside of and closely surrounded by the ring-sector shaped substructure and the work surface; a forehead and chin rest for the patient adjustably positioned adjacent one end of said substructure and including means for adjustably positioning said forehead and chin rest; said sector portion of the substructure subtending an angle of approximately 90* and adjacent ends of the sector portion and the fixed portion of the substructure forming a cutout subtending an angle of about 90*, means for enabling outward pivoting of said sector about a vertical rotational axis located on the inner circumference of said sector portion nearest said fixed portion, said sector being displaceable, after said work surface has been repositioned on said substructure, in a rotary motion about said vertical rotational axis by about 90* into said cutout, whereby said treatment chair after an appropriate rotation of about 60* may be adjusted such that the head of the patient reclining in an essentially horizontal position is located approximately in the center of the length and the width of the area formerly occupied by said displaced sector of said substructure, and said sector including control means located on an end portion of said sector for controlling the position of said treatment chair and the relative position of said treatment instruments relative to said chair. 